Politically-correct: is it being carried too far and creating separation instead? (Mexican, legal)

[Wisteria]

The subject of being "politically correct" in talking about people of different races/nationalities came up at work today. I am in California, although I was raised in the northeast. I grew up with all kinds of nationalities, and New York City probably has every race and nationality in the world in one place. I love New York because it seems that people are so used to diversity, and so many people are of mixed heritage, that it really boils down to whether or not you like the person, not the background of the person. (But I do like the westcoast weather! )

In California, one has to be much more delicate in how one terms things – it seems everyone is now a _____-American nowadays [insert whatever nationality/race you want there]. I got quite a lashing from a younger co-worker who said that I am rude if I do not use the "correct" terms for people – such as Asian-American, or Mexican-American, etc., and that to not use those terms means that I have no respect for the individual. I disagree. I see people as people. This is America – most people I know, especially from the northeast, and many here in California, are a wide mixture (Heinz 57, if you will) of backgrounds. When you get into those blendings of nationalities and races, one is really forced to decide if they like you as a person, not a label.

I am not asking people to call me a _____-American [for me, insert: Norwegian, Irish, German, or English] and my daughter: Russian-American. We are just who we are. In my opinion (only my opinion), it seems like being "politically-correct" is actually creating a backlash of segregated feelings, instead of unifying people. Maybe I'm just overreacting from feeling like I have to be careful of not addressing people as people, but rather having to categorize them around the people I work with – which seems silly to me, since we're all different personalities first, and our heritages second (to me, anyway). I don't like the idea of everyone having to fit into a particular segregated group, and that's how this feels to me, rather than a more open and accepting attitude.

Does anyone else here think politically-correct is a bit too much??

(Please be respectful…thanks.)

[burdell]

Calling an American an American without adding a prefix means you have no respect for that person?

GRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...................gimme a break!

I agree with you about NYC, there are probably people of every bacground on the planet in the area and it's usually not much of an issue. I hope to be moving this year and that's one thing I will definitely miss.

[sponger42]

______ - American only indicates the continents; Europe, Asia, Africa, and (rarely) Austrailia. Saying your a Russian-American is like saying you're "Ivory Coast-American".

By the way, Norwegian, Irish, German and English is not "mixed". That's white. European-American if you want.

If you meet a US Citizen who's dad was a black man from South Africa and who's mom was a black woman from Chad, would you call him "mixed"? No, you'd call him black. Or African-American if you insist.

Likewise, you're not going to call someone a Taiwanese-American or Tibetan-American, no, you'd say Asian-American, or, insultingly--if they're a citizen--just plain "Asian".

In the end it doesn't really matter what you call people. It matters how you treat them. If you're not ignorant of a person's heritage and cultural sensitivities, then you'll eventually learn to address them in an acceptable manner. Also, you should know by now that different individuals are going to want to be called different things.

If you ARE ignorant of someone's culture, then you're going to come off as a little insulting sometimes. Get over yourself and deal with the fact that maybe you called somebody something they don't particularily like. If you keep an open mind and talk with a reasonable individual about how you should refer to them, you'll be educated on how to address someone who is different from you and we'll all get along just fine.

When you were a little kid, you might have pointed and called someone an "old lady" or "ugly guy" or "funny-looking." While they might truly be "funny looking" that's not the proper (PC to you) way to address someone, and either they or your parents should have educated you not to talk to people in such a disrespectful manner. The same thing applies here. If you don't know what to call someone, take your best guess or ask. Show a little class and try to be respectful. It's not such a hard thing to do that we need to toss all rules of civility out the window.

[burdell]

If I meet an American whose parents were white South Africans do I need to call them an African-American?

I' m soooooooooooo confused

Personally, I don't see anything disrespectful at all about calling any American an American.

[Glitch]

I have no respect for anyone who thinks of themselves as a hyphenated American. They most likely are American haters and want to distance themselves by adding another nationality before American.

[macmeal]

To Wisteria's original question, "is it going too far" my answer is "YES". People aren't stupid, and the forced, Disney-like "niceness" of PC can VERY quickly turn into a situation RIPE for sarcastic mockery. That's just the way it is.

My kids are WELL aware that they're Mom is an Indian...yet, when they're 'goofing off" or getting silly, they use the term "native American"....why? Because that's the way they perceive it...as silly, artificial, and 'stilted'. NOBODY 'talks like that" in real life, in other words....at least not around here.

THe long-multi-syllabic labels given to ALL groups now bring a huge "urge" to make jokes..in fact, as most of us WELL KNOW, there is a whole 'movement' out there mocking PC terms...(such as "vertically challenged" instead of 'short".....and 'follically-challenged' instead of 'bald'..etc etc etc etc)....

Getting rid of EGREGIOUS, harmful expressions (such as the infamous "N" word) is fine...but that's a rare example. Most PC expressions are simply euphemisms that mask the harshness of former terms, but do NOTHING to resolve the problem...and therefore, these terms go from "nice', to "silly" (and ripe for mockery), and finally, to sounding offensive THEMSELVES...because they REALLY still mean what the OLD word meant. (i.e. "the Negro section" becomes the "poor Black ghetto", and then "the inner city"...but it STILL 'means' the same thing, so nothing changes.....or "crippled" becomes "handicapped", which is softened to "disabled", and now "differently-abled"...but it still MEANS the same thing, except now it sounds 'sarcastic')

As far as "trying to know what to 'call' somebody (ethnically or racially)...why "call" them anything at all? How would it EVER come up in a conversation that you mistake a person's ethnicity? If you're THAT close a friend, the person wil probably let you KNOW..if NOT, what business is it of YOURS what his "ethnicity" is, anyway? If it means THAT much, I suppose you could ASK the person himself.

PC is nothing but a 'minefield', lined with all sorts of chances to annoy and insult one another. Its intentions are noble, but it treats us all like oversensitive, ill-tempered children...and that's an open invitation to regular bickering and 'temper tantrums", IMHO. Why don't we just all grow up....if you're an American, why not expect people to address you that way? Seems pretty simple to me. Want to celebrate "ethnic heritage"?...fine..then do so among those you KNOW, or expect to be 'questioned"....

[Wisteria]

MacMeal: ...is it going too far" my answer is "YES". People aren't stupid, and the forced, Disney-like "niceness" of PC can VERY quickly turn into a situation RIPE for sarcastic mockery. That's just the way it is. ...there is a whole 'movement' out there mocking PC terms...(such as "vertically challenged" instead of 'short".....and 'follically-challenged' instead of 'bald'..etc etc etc etc)....
..

Thank you, MacMeal!! I couldn't rep you again -- sorry. You are the voice of reason -- thank you!

You're right about it becoming something worthy of being made fun of -- in fact, I intentionally (sorry -- sometimes I want people to see how ridiculous some of these things are) set about making a fuss about ME being "vertically-challenged!" I think my boss just about had a heart attack thinking I was going to call in the Union, etc., because I'm 4'10" short, and "technically" a "midget." (by definition a proportional person 4'10" and under) Because they put my mailbox up too high for me to reach, I made sure that I was "accommodated," and printed out the definition of "midget," that I met the requirements, and this was discrimination against those who are "different." Well, as you can imagine, that mailbox came down real low, real fast! It was a joke on my part, but I think it did make them feel uneasy about it. It's getting to the point that everyone wants an accommodation for something.

MacMeal: As far as "trying to know what to 'call' somebody (ethnically or racially)...why "call" them anything at all?

I agree. Simply put, people are people. Some people we like, some we don't. I think that the divisive label "____-American" is divisive. I remember when suddenly Italians became "Italian-Americans." Having grown up in a city with a huge Italian population, I found it kind of funny. I'm not sure what happened that they jumped on the band wagon, but I have a hunch it was some sort of backlash.

You're also right that it seems to be a curtain to hide certain prejudices under the guise of these "____-American" labels.

I have to admit that I like the terrain and weather of the west better, but I think that the northeast, in particular, seemed to be more tolerant and accepting of other people's backgrounds. Some of the best jokes I've heard were told by people of their own ethnic background ... they found them funny, used the same accents and inflections, and laughed just as hard as anyone else!

My best friend from Brooklyn (dare I say it -- she's Jewish), sent my daughter a card recently, and because she has that typical New York humor, the card had all these balloons on it, and she wrote at the bottom:
" 'May your balloons never deflate too quickly'......old Jewish proverb." Obviously, that was silly and a joke, but I bet if I said anything around here, they'd think I was making fun of her or something not politically-correct.

Anyway, glad to see others here see how carried away this has gotten. And although some might want to refer to me as a European-American, I prefer to have it broken down into Irish, or English, or German, or Scandanavian. And my daughter is of Russian Jewish descent, so I think she prefers Russian-American -- which are all listed as legitimate hyphenated-American definitions!

On second thought, I think I'd just rather be known as Wisteria, the American!

[Roaddog]

I think the whole PC thing is out of control, I think people should just speak their minds, if someone doesn't like it then they don't have to listen.

[Noahma]

Originally Posted by burdell

If I meet an American whose parents were white South Africans do I need to call them an African-American?

I' m soooooooooooo confused

Personally, I don't see anything disrespectful at all about calling any American an American.

as far as I see it, if you are born in America, or are a legal citizen of America, I can care less where you came from, or where your ancestors came from, you are American to me, and that is all that matters.

My family line has been here for much much longer than most. I am of eurpoean decent, but I do not tote that around wherever I go. I am purely American, like it or leave it, that is what I am.

[Coffee Mate]

Like I've said before.....a line I coined my self....

"Political Correctness is a Weapon with a Worker at Both Ends"